Disclaimer: Despite my numerous break-in attempts on the Burton compound, Willy Wonka still remains out of my reach and therefore isn't mine.

AN: This chapter may seem a bit romantic and a bit sad, but it's all in the story, people! Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Caught In the Act:

Willy spent the entire night wracking his brain for a way to keep Astra in the factory with him. If it weren't for the fact that he never suffered from sleep deprivation, he would have been in serious trouble. However, an idea hit him a few days before the Johnson's were due to leave. It was quite simple, really, and he didn't know why he didn't think of it before.

It was fairly obvious that Astra cared a great deal about both him and his candy, so why not tempt her with both? Willy already knew that he adored the lovely girl that smelled so eatable, and to lose her so soon after finding her again would be unbearable for him. As a matter of fact, he'd managed to create and bottle a scent similar to that of her lotion just so that he could always imagine that she was nearby. The little green glass bottle currently hung from a gold chain around his neck, and he occasionally pulled the tiny stopper out of the bottle just to get a tiny whiff of the stuff.

'She's like an addiction,' Willy thought to himself as he watched the Oompa Loompas carry out his plans. 'I just can't get enough of her! It's just weird!'

Willy had never been popular with the female half of the population, and having Astra interested in him like this just blew his mind to pieces. She was so pretty and so charming that he wondered why some other boy hadn't come along and married her already. Were the men out there in the world blind, deaf, and dumb to her and her sparkling self? What was wrong with the male population that they couldn't see what was right in front of them?

'Oh, well, that just leaves her all for me!' he happily thought, grinning broadly as he watched the tiny people do their work.

Even though Willy didn't believe it possible, the Oompa Loompas knew exactly what was happening between him and the pretty lady that had lately been visiting the factory so often. They saw their employer's smiling face and his eagerness to please the young woman, and they fully supported it. For too long had Willy Wonka been alone in the factory, and it was about time that he found someone to love and be loved by.

As they worked to put his latest plan into action, the Oompa Loompas exchanged knowing glances and winks, intent on making this pairing a success.

As she brushed her hair, Astra fought an inward battle. She was completely head over heels for Willy Wonka, and if their shared kiss had been any clue, he was smitten with her, too.

'But would Mom and Daddy approve?' she thought, her brush stopping in mid-stroke.

Considering the fact that Willy was old enough to be her father (or at least an uncle), it wasn't too likely that her parents would take kindly to having him date their daughter…especially when she had only recently turned eighteen years old! She was technically an adult and could make her own decisions, but Astra truly wanted her parents' approval before she and Willy did anything more than kiss one another inside of glass elevators!

'It'll never happen,' declared a voice in the back of her head. 'Your mom didn't even like the thought of you dating while going to high school! And dating while you are in college? Ha! You can forget that idea!'

True enough, her mother hadn't even liked the idea of Astra going to a school dance with anyone. To see her daughter with an older man would likely cause her to have a heart attack, and her father…well, who knew what her father would do to poor Willy once he got his hands on the chocolatier? She didn't want anyone to get hurt, but if things went the way she believed they would, then someone was going to get hurt, physically or emotionally, no matter what she did.

Astra could only hope that she and Willy could figure something out before her parents suspected something. Meanwhile, she braced herself before going back to the factory. Her bags were all packed and ready for the long plane ride home, all of the hotel bills had been settled, and her family was ready to go, so there was only one thing that she had to deal with…and that was Willy Wonka.

Pacing while waiting for Astra to show up had become an annoying habit of Willy's, but it kept him busy, so he kept it up. The Oompa Loompas were a tad annoyed with it, but since it was better than Willy tapping his foot or his cane on the floor, they let it pass. Besides, if they understood how he felt about her, then they could hardly blame him for being impatient, could they?

The sound of a door opening and approaching footsteps caused him to look up and grin. There she was, dressed in jeans and a dark green shirt, smiling as though she were happy to see him, which, of course, she was. Willy could tell by the way Astra wrapped her arms around him in a tremendous hug that he gladly returned in full. He'd never enjoyed hugging before, but when Astra did it, it felt so nice and warm; she was a wonderful hugger, and he'd never felt more safe and secure in his life.

"Welcome back, Starshine," he whispered into her ear. He felt her tense up in his arms, something that was totally unlike her. Willy pulled back so that he could look her in the eye. "Is something wrong, Starshine?" he asked, concern written all over his face.

Astra merely avoided his gaze by gazing at the floor. "I'm just sad that I'll be leaving tomorrow," she said, her shoulders sagging slightly at the depressing thought.

Willy didn't exactly like the idea, either; it was like a black cloud hanging over them, and he knew that he had to put his plan into action as quickly as possible! If he was to keep his precious Astra here at the factory, he'd have to win her over, and soon. There was no time to waste, and everything was already in place…it was time to get to work.

"I have a surprise for you today," Willy cheerfully exclaimed, a broad smile on his face as he offered her his arm. "Would you like to see it?"

She merely smiled at him and took his arm. It was all the encouragement he needed.

Astra was surprised when he led her directly into the Chocolate Room. She had already been inside dozens of times and knew the entire thing by heart. Why did he insist on taking her into a room when she already knew what was there? Inwardly sighing, she simply followed the strangely wonderful chocolatier. Well, he did say that he had a surprise for her, didn't he?

'Maybe it's a new kind of candy that he wants me to see or try out for him?' she thought to herself.

But if that was so, why, then, didn't Willy take her to the Inventing Room? That was where he took all of the Oompa Loompas that tested his candy, and if he were, in fact, trying to impress her with a new confection, it would have definitely been the Inventing Room that held the new tasty treat. Why would he take her into the Chocolate Room to show her something? A moment later, as they approached the chocolate river and waited, Astra understood his reasons.

The sound of drumbeats vibrated through her chest, causing her to shiver with excitement. She truly enjoyed the boat rides Willy took her on, so she eagerly awaited the arrival of the boat. However, as the very tip of the huge floating confection rounded the corner, Astra's jaw dropped. Instead of the usual pink seahorse boat, this one was a dark blue and in the shape of a swan. In the rear end of the ship was a pavilion completely wrapped up in dark cloth, which would give the boat riders privacy from the Oompa Loompa rowers.

Taken completely by surprise, Astra found herself unable to move from her spot on the shore. Had Willy created this new boat just for her? It was silly to think so, considering the fact that she was leaving tomorrow, but from the way the Oompa Loompas smiled up at her, the famous chocolatier must have built this boat with her in mind. But what was that curtained-off pavilion for? Shrugging, Astra followed Willy onto the boat and behind the thin sheets of the tent.

She was even more surprised to see that, instead of benches, this one had dozens of cushions spread around to make things more comfortable. That had to mean that this was more of a recreational boat than the pink one, and instead of going around the factory, this boat was to be used for relaxation purposes. The soothing blue colors and the darkness of the tent gave it a very calm atmosphere, and Astra soon found herself feeling very peaceful. There was a sugary smell to the tent that had a hint of blueberries and cream that made her feel a bit drowsy.

Willy must have sensed her weariness, because he took her hand and seated her down on a large pillow before taking a seat next to her. Once they were both seated, Astra noticed that he hadn't let go of her hand, and instead kept it tightly wrapped in his own gloved palm. A few moments of silence passed, the only sound that could be heard was that of their breathing. Risking a glance out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Willy was staring at her, his face hovering very close to hers.

"You're so beautiful, Starshine," he whispered, his free hand reaching up to caress her left cheek as his face drew nearer. "I want to wrap you up and hold you close for ever and ever."

Astra couldn't help but blush under the palm of his hand as his lips met hers.

Willy savored the feeling of Astra's lips respond to the heated kiss he'd started. It was amazing how she always made him feel so good, so wonderful, so…wanted. No woman had ever wanted him like this before, and the feel of his precious Astra touching his face and neck as they kissed was heaven. Unconsciously, Willy deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around Astra's waist and pulling her body against his. He felt her gasp, and, unable to restrain himself, he pushed his tongue into her mouth.

Astra felt his tongue inside her mouth and sighed. She's never been kissed like this before, and having Willy be the first to kiss her like this blew her mind almost as much as the kiss itself! When his arms reached to surround her waist, alarm bells went off in her head. How far, exactly, did he want to take this? She highly doubted that he would "go all the way," but a person could never tell. Still, Willy's gentle, though insistent, touch was too wonderful to pass up. Instead, Astra shoved aside all second thoughts and focused on the kiss she was receiving from the handsome chocolatier in front of her.

Suddenly, her world tilted as Astra found herself on her back, her lips still pressed against Willy's with his arms still wrapped firmly around her. Pulling her head back, she opened her mouth to protest, but the gentleness in Willy's violet eyes told her that he was not doing to go further than kissing. She smiled up at him and was rewarded with a blinding white grin.

"I love you, Starshine," he whispered.

Willy's confession of love had somewhat surprised Astra. She hadn't actually thought that he would fall in love with her, or at least, feel that intensely for her in such a short amount of time. After all, the two of them had only known each other for a few days, and had kissed for the first time only recently. Did Willy actually mean what he said, or could he just be acting impulsively?

Gazing deep into his eyes, Astra saw the deep feelings that Willy had for her in his heart. There was an honest, childlike air around him, and she knew that there was no way he was going to lie to her about anything. Just like children were so openly honest with those around them, Willy Wonka would be wholeheartedly honest with those he knew. So instead of pushing him aside and demanding that they take things slow (as her logical side insisted), Astra listened to her heart.

"I love you, too, Willy Wonka," she whispered in reply, just before his lips pressed against hers once more.

Unbeknownst to both Willy and Astra, Robert Johnson had decided to come to the factory and find his daughter. He was rather disturbed about the fact that his friend was spending so much time with the much younger Astra, and it made him sick to his stomach. Even though Astra and Willy had been close, their bonding time had happened while she was a child and easily amused by candy. But she was now an eighteen-year-old woman, and being around a (Robert was sorry to say) mentally unstable candy maker didn't seem right…

Putting those thoughts foremost in his head, Robert walked straight up to the back of the chocolate factory and pounded on the door in the back. He seriously didn't expect anyone to be waiting back there, or to even answer his knock, but was pleasantly surprised when one of the little Oompa Loompas opened the door and stared at him with equal shock.

"I want to see my daughter," he demanded of the little man, who quickly nodded and led him inside.

He was quickly escorted down several hallways until he reached the Chocolate Room. Taking a quick look around, he only saw a dark blue boat floating in the chocolate river, not moving an inch. It appeared to be deserted, though there was a sort of tent/pavilion near the very end made of blue cloth. A few sounds could be heard coming from behind the cloth, mostly sighs and soft whispers in both male and female voices. Robert knew that there was no chance that the voices came from Oompa Loompas (since he'd never heard them talk), and the thought of what might be happening in there made his blood boil. Stalking up to the side of the boat, he quickly boarded and flung aside the front flaps of the pavilion.

To his shock and horror, there lay his best friend and daughter, locked in an intimate embrace as they kissed.

Upon hearing the cloth of the tent being pulled back and the sharp intake of breath, Astra pulled back from the kiss and looked to her right. The outline of her very angry father told her all she needed to know as she pulled away from Willy's warm and loving embrace.

"Daddy!" she said, straightening her hair and likely looking as ashamed and embarrassed as she felt. "Daddy, we…"

"Don't even try to explain yourselves, Astra," her father snapped as his hands gripped the material of the tent. "I want you on shore in less than a minute, young lady, or else!"

He stormed out of the tent, the boat rocking as he stepped ashore. Astra glanced over at Willy, seeing the shock in his eyes as she made to leave. A gloved hand on her arm held her down, and she was soon wrapped up in Willy's arms for a brief second before escorting her out of the tent and onto the mint grass. Once they were all firmly on land, Astra glanced between the man she loved and her father.

'Dear God, please don't have them fight,' she silently prayed. She had never prayed before, but this seemed like an excellent time to start; she truly didn't want anyone to get hurt (or even killed) because of her!

Her father suddenly pointed an accusatory finger at Willy's face. "You," he began, his voice tight and filled with anger and hate. "You have no right to take advantage of my daughter! For God's sake, Willy, Astra's half your age! She's barely even a grown woman, and here you are, making out in the back of a boat!" He took a step closer to the chocolatier, who surprisingly didn't back down. "I'm taking my daughter home with her mother and I, and there is nothing you can do to stop us, Willy Wonka."

Before Willy could even react to his now former friend's words, Robert grabbed his daughter and began heading up towards the doors. A violent tug on his heart told him that it was just about to break as he watched his beloved Astra be pulled away from him. It was all he could do to not run after her and pull her back. After all, Robert was her father, and he knew what was best for her…didn't he?

"Ouch! Daddy, you're hurting me!" Astra's pain-filled voice reached his ears.

Willy saw red. How dare someone try and hurt his Starshine! Going back to the boat, Willy grabbed his cane and raced up the hill after the retreating Johnson's, Astra's protesting voice filling his ears with her pleas for her father to loosen his grip on her. It took Willy less than a minute to catch up, and by then, his cane was ready to protect and defend the woman he loved. Raising it, he carefully reached out and brought it down, hard, on Robert's hand, causing him to release Astra from his grip.

Astra immediately stopped walking, and Willy wrapped his arm around her as he leaned in to check her wrist for injuries. There were dark spots where Robert's large fingertips had been, and Willy could feel anger rising up again inside of him. However, instead of showing his aggression, he made a call for the Oompa Loompas to come and help him. Suddenly, the three were surrounded by the tiny beings, all of them holding candy spears.

Robert took a quick assessment of the situation before turning to face his daughter. "Astra, you're coming home with me," he declared, reaching for her once more.

Willy raised his cane so that it was like a horizontal barrier between them. "You won't touch her," the chocolatier firmly replied, violet eyes narrowing in anger.

"She is my daughter and I am taking her home!" snarled a very red-faced Robert. "You have no right to interfere in this!"

"I do when it concerns the woman I love."

Willy's bold declaration left a very heavy pause in the air. Astra didn't know whether to be thrilled or terrified that her father now knew about what the famous man felt for her. Deep inside, her heart was torn in two. Would she go home with her family and never see Willy again? She knew that her father would forbid her from ever returning here, and there was no way she'd ever be able to save up enough money to come back on her own.

The thought of living without Willy again sent a painful chill up her spine. Astra knew that if she went home, life would be incredibly lonely. She'd go to college, and while she was gone, her parents would carefully comb through her mail so that she could never again be in contact with the man she loved. She'd be encouraged to let her beautiful dreams of magic and candy die, to wither away and turn towards the cold harshness of everyday life. Her dreams of romance would end the moment she set foot outside the factory walls, and everything she held so dear to her heart would be tossed away like trash. There was no way she was going to allow that. She needed to take a stand.

"I'm not going."

Willy felt his heart stop when she said those words. Did she just say that she wanted to stay with him here in the factory? Or did he just imagine it? Would she really stay with him? He quickly shifted his eyes between Astra and her father. Robert looked somewhere between shocked and angry. Soon, however, anger won, and Willy could feel Astra trembling beside him. He seriously doubted that she had so openly disobeyed her father before, but he was very proud of her for doing so.

Robert took a deep breath as he tried to calm down. "Astra, you can't seriously believe that you love him and want to stay here with him," he slowly reasoned with her, as though she were a small child. "You're young and don't understand the situation. Let's just go home and we can talk about this."

Astra shook her head. "No," she said, reaching out to grab Willy's free hand. "I love him and I want to stay here at the factory." She glared at her father when he attempted to protest. "You've always treated me like I was a little girl, like I didn't understand anything! Just because I believe in fairytales and love candy doesn't mean I'm stupid and don't see the world around me. I may not be a "normal" teenager like Mitchell, but at least I know what love is!"

Robert's eye narrowed to slits. "Fine then," he said, pulling himself up to his fill height. "Stay with him. But don't expect me to stick around when you realize your mistake."

Then he turned around and left the two lovers standing in the hallway.

Astra could hardly believe what had just happened. She was allowed to stay behind and be with Willy forever, but she'd had to give up her family in order to do so.

'Did I choose wrongly?' she thought, staring in blank shock at the place her father had once stood.

The intense kiss Willy gave her as he hugged her close pushed all doubts from her mind…for the moment, at least…

AN: Well, what do you think about this chapter? I hope that you all enjoyed it. It's not much farther to the ending after this. I'm not sure how many chapters are left, but I promise to make them the best that I can! Review!